Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Carolina Caro, a certified leadership coach based in Pasadena, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I am a Certified Leadership Coach, a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) consultant, a Professional Speaker, trainer, and facilitator. I specialize in helping leaders break through their Generational Conditioning by heightening their awareness and helping them uncover their blind spots so that they can consciously develop behaviors that cultivate their leadership potential. It is my intention to support organizations in creating inclusive cultures and empower individuals to discover and express who they truly are at the core. I run a small business that provides leadership development training, executive, team, and public speaking coaching, diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting engagements and facilitated retreats, and I'm invited to speak on these topics at various conferences and meetings.
In the DEI space, I support organizations by examining the baseline for their DEI journey through an organization-wide assessment that measures the perceptions of the company's people relating to DEI themes. Then a process audit is conducted to look at how each task is performed and whether it can be reframed with a DEI lens. Using all this data, a DEI strategic and tactical plan is devised to help every team monitor and achieve their goals and measure the success of their investment. Phase all the way through to creating a DEI plan that addresses their gaps, including their training needs.
My customers are for-profit, non-profit, and government agencies. I also work closely with meeting planners to ensure that their events are a success when I'm invited to speak.
Tell us about yourself
I began my career as a research scientist in the area of HIV/AIDS. From my role in academia, I transitioned to work in the pharmaceutical industry, where I held roles in a medical capacity and then on the commercial side of the business. It wasn't until several years after that that I went through a period of self-reflection where II was assessing what I really wanted to do with my life. I realized that a lot of the decisions that had led me down my path had been dictated by what others wanted for me and not necessarily what I wanted for myself. That's when I started to uncover my own "Generational Conditioning" and the impact it had on shaping the life I was living. That's when I began a period of transition where I gave myself an opportunity to try different paths, including studying acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre in New York and working as a professional actor for several years before starting my own business as a coach. Now, I've been in the training and development space for over a decade. What motivates me about the work I do is that I have lived (and continue to live) what I share with my clients. In other words, my journey allowed me to shed all those layers of my own Generational Conditioning, and now I do the same with my clients. And as I help them along their journey, I also continue my own. That brings me a level of fulfillment that I can even put into words.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Of course, as a business owner, having a business that is financially thriving is a huge reward, especially when you remember those days when you first started out. But money is only a driver up to a certain point. It's not capable of generating the feeling I have when I get to witness someone having an A-ha moment or experiencing a transformation that sets them up for a deeper or richer experience of life. Those moments are priceless for me and continue to reinforce that I found my calling and that I am living my purpose every day.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
For me, the toughest part is that I started my business to do the work I do, but the more the business grows, the more your attention is needed on the staff and the systems that will support your business. So you go from working in your business to on your business. Juggling those two is an art that I've had to learn and continue to learn while also making sure that I don't lose the magic of those aspects of my work that I love.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
My first piece of advice is to start. So many people dream about things or talk about doing things, and it stays in that realm. They never give themselves the opportunity to see what's possible if they were to pursue their dream. Sometimes there is a fear of failure that doesn't even allow them to take that first step. And then, once they start, I would say that they should expect it to be messy. Unfortunately, not enough people share their struggle stories as much as they share their success stories. And this makes others feel inadequate because they just see the shiny pictures on social media that can be misleading. The beginning, like in anything else, is a learning curve, and it takes time to master your craft - whatever that might be. Anyone who thinks that the path is a get rich quick or that it will be easy is setting themselves up for disappointment. But if you consider the challenges as part of the growth, which serves its own purpose of shaping you as a business owner, you will enjoy the ride that much more. And the last piece would be that they will solve their problems, one at a time, and in doing so, build the confidence and resilience that it takes to be a successful business owner.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.carolinacaro.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarolinaCaro.Caroleadership
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caroleadership/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Caroleadership
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinacaro/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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